With the cause of Scottish independence stalled by a Westminster government veto on a new referendum, nationalist leader Nicola Sturgeon offered a new approach to break the deadlock on Wednesday — her resignation as first minister of Scotland.
But Sturgeon's departure also poses a huge risk to the cause. Her success leading the Scottish National Party over eight years has largely silenced critics of her strategy, and internal fault lines could be exposed by the vacuum once she's gone.
Having devoted her life to an independent Scotland, she said a new leader would be better placed to carry the movement forward, even though she leaves with no obvious successor in place.